Thermoelectric unit



March 23 1926. 1,577,874

S. RUBEN' THERMOELEGTRIC UNIT Filed Dec. 1, 1922 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL RUBEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THERMOELECTRIC UN 1'1.

Application filed December 1, 1922. Serial No. 604,452.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that SAMUEL RUBEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York city, N. Y., has invented new and useful Improvements in Thermoelectric Units, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means of producing thermo-electric effects, and its object is to produce thermo-electric effects with increased efliciency.

It is known that if heat is applied to one of two dissimilar conductive substances in physical contact, a current will flow in a circuit connecting them, and that the greater the diflerence in their initial electro-physical characteristics such as their therm-electric powers, .the greater the thermo-electric current derived from a given amount of heat; and that, conversely, a current discharged throu h the couple yields such thermo-electric e ects as heating and cooling. 7 7

I have found by experiments with combinations of various metals and metallic compounds, that by arranging galena in combination with two electrodes composed of a material, such as copper, the contacting area with one electrode being in excess of that with the other, and applying heat to the electrode of larger contacting area and shielding the other contacting area, to provide for minimum counter thermo-electric effects very high thermo-electric effects are yielde Highly satisfactory results were obtained when galena was cast in contact with two copper electrodes, and also when copper electrodes were electro-deposited upon a galena body of proper form, in this way securing maximum contact over areas of given magmtudes.

A form especially adapted to the production of cooling effects, consists of galena cast between and in contact with two concen trio copper cylinders. When a current is flowing between the terminal electrodes and the galena, charging the outer electrode positive ing, attheouter or active electrode, and one of heating, at the inner or inactive electrode, which latter eflectis partially counteracted bythe extraction of heatnnits by a cool-- ing fluid discharged through the inner electrode. By the establishment of greater tem-' perature difference between the two electrodes, the cooling fluid also aids in the production of thermo-electric current. For higher temperatures, iron oxide Fe O cast into form, as the conductive compound, is preferable to galena because of its higher melting point; p

The principles of the invention can best be further explained in connection with certain illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 represents the thermo-electric unit composed of a galena rod cast within a cylindrical copper electrode and about copper electrodes, one at each end, a part of the unit being shown in section.

Fig. 2 represents another form of the thermo-electric unit in which a part of the unit is shown in section.

In Fig. 1, 1 represents a galena body cast in contact with two copper terminals 2, and within copper cylinder 3; 4, 5 and 6 being biniling posts in a circuit having terminals at In Fig. 2 is shown a galena cylinder cast between two concentric copper cylinders 3 and 8.

Employing the units shown in Figs. 1' and 2 as generators of thermo-electric current, as heating energy is applied to cop per coating 3, electro-physical reactions occur between the electronic systems of copper electrodes 3 and 8 and those of galena body 1, resulting in a thermo-electric current to a circuit from terminals at 7. When the device shown in Fig. 2 is so employed, a cooling fluid, such as a stream of water or air,

can be discharged through the inner electrode 8, which establishes a greater temperature difference between electrode 3, and electrode 8, thus serving to increase the production of current. Employed in the productionof cooling eflects, the outer cylinder 3, is positively charged, when the galena is negative to it, and the cooling fluid prevents a temperature rise between the alena andthe fluid alsoassists in extracting some of the resistance heat loss.

What I claim is,

1. A thermo-electric unit composed of an electricall conductive crystallihe compound in molecu ar contact with two opposing electrodes, so arranged with respect to said compound that the contact area between one inner electrode, due to polarity effects; the twoefiects are produced, one of coolsaid other electrode.

2. A thermo-electric.unit comprising two electrically conducting cylinders coaxially arranged one within the other, and adapted to be connected as opposing electrodes in an electric circuit, the adjacent surfaces of said cylinders being in molecular contact with an electrically conducting crystalline compound within the space therebetween.

3. A thermo-electric unit comprising two electrically conducting cylinders arranged ame-m coaxially one within the other, and adapted to be connected as opposing electrodes in an electric circuit, the adjacent surfaces of said cylinders being in molecular contact with an electrically conductin crystalline compound within the space t erebetween,

and adapted for the discharge of acooling 1 SAMUEL RUBEN. 

